Deanna's Distress Call
Log Title: Deanna's Distress Call Characters: Baroness, Major Bludd, Artemis, Deanna (Artemis Puppet), Tele-Viper 912 (Emit by Baroness), Range-Viper (Emit By Baroness), Various Troops (Emit by Bludd) Locations: Colombia Base - Ruins; Under Colombia Base Medical - Ruins; Cobra Island – War Room Date: Friday, April 02, 2010 TP: None Summary: The Baroness gets Notification from a Tele-Viper that a distress Beacon is being picked up from the Old Colombia Base. She sends Major Bludd to investigate…. What he finds is shocking! ;Role Play Begins Baroness says, "Major Bludd?" Major Bludd says, "Yes?" Baroness says, "Did we leave someone behind in Colombia?" Major Bludd says, "*pauses* Not to my knowledge. Why do you ask? Are you missing someone?" Baroness says, "I was just informed we are getting a distress signal from the location of our old Colombia Base. Buried deep underground it appears."" Major Bludd says, "That's ... unexpected. Do you need someone to go have a look?" Baroness says, "Someone should. I do think, however, we should keep the team small... To a group we trust." Major Bludd says, "Who d'you suggest? And d'you want me to head it up, or did you have someone else in mind?" Baroness says, "Oh, you will command the Op. You pick the team. I want you to bring whomever you find back immediately." Major Bludd says, "Acknowledged. I'll get underway shortly." SCENE: COLOMBIA BASE - RUINS The Jungle has started to retake the once proud Cobra Base, and the town that was nearby. Nothing moves, except snakes, of the variety that crawl along the ground on no legs, birds, the occasional monkey moving through the tree. No human life can be seen. Signs that humans once were here is obvious, however, remains of the town, remains of burned out Stingers, HISS Tanks, Aircraft shot out of the sky. A battered matte grey military truck jounces through rough jungle tracks, heading toward the location of the former Cobra base. Major Bludd watches the screen of a tracking device while another soldier drives and two more troops ride uncomfortably in the back. "Slow it down," Bludd says, holding up a hand. The truck rumbles in through the gap once filled by a security fence. "It looks like it's coming from the medical building." A Range-Viper emerges from the Jungle, "Major Bludd, Mistress Baroness sends her regards. The base is empty, sir." The truck grinds to a halt and Bludd hops out, tracking device in hand. "We're getting a distress signal," he explains. "Must be someone left to set it off, eh?" The Range-Viper nods, "Yes Sir, but nothing we can find, or access with our Security Codes have any signs of life." He pauses, "There are two doors in medical we couldn't open." "Alright," Bludd replies, "let's see if *I* can't get 'em open." He motions to the troops in the truck, who hop down or climb out to join him. "Show us which doors you can't get into. Let's see if this thing," he holds up the tracking device, "doesn't lead us to 'em." The tracking device would show the distress signal is leading towards Medical, for sure. The Range-Viper leads the way, one door leads to an elevator shaft, one that it is possible the Major never went down, the other, leads to a room the Major is sure to have been in, at least half a hundred times. It was the room Over Kill was always in, when he was shut down, or being repaired, or upgraded. Major Bludd frowns at the elevator. "Hate elevators," he mutters as he opens it with his personal passcode. "An' this one's probably the worst of th' bunch." He sighs. "In y'go, lads. Let's get to the bottom o' this." He follows the troops into the elevator car and hits the call button for the lowest floor, watching the tracking device carefully as the elevator descends. The tracking Device shows the dot to be at what must be the lowest level. The elevator stops at the second lowest level, and a computer voice asks, "Authorization Code Please?" The Computer voice sounds like it is almost out of power, and as it speaks, the lights flicker. Major Bludd had the run of the place when he was posted here, with the possible exception of an experiment or so that may have been directly under the Commander's or another member of the High Command's purview. He doesn't recall having given a passcode in an elevator before. He shrugs and keys in his personal passcode again on the security pad. "Voice..." The computer shuts down, but the elevator continues downward anyways. Either the computer completely died, the password was accepted, or the power just gave out. "Hate elevators," Bludd reiterates quietly as the elevator descends. The Elevator stops, at the bottom level, now 4 stories below the ground floor, and the doors slowly open. When they open, the only thing that can be seen are emergancy lights, glowing weakly, every 20 feet, down a long cooridor. Long enough that there are easily 20 lights in view. Major Bludd looks down at his tracking device and proceeds slowly down the hallway, his troops following nervously along. "Man, this is like a scene out of Alien or somethin'," one mutters. "Shut up, man," replies the other, "I'm creeped out enough as it is!" The Range Viper laughs, "This is better than Alien." Somewhere down the hall a little girl huddles behind one of the doors, staring at the body of the only caretaker she has ever known, dead of a heart attack. But before the group gets to her, there are many rooms, filled with who knows what... Remember, Dr. Herbert West was working on Zombie experiments at the Colombia Base... Major Bludd keeps a close eye on the tracking device, noting the words on doors he passes. Dr West's name appears on one and the mercenary unconsciously quickens his step. He recalls all too well the evening the good doctor came running through Medical with a not-entirely-alive monkey attempting to claw the back of his head open. The group is near the end of the hallway when Bludd calls a halt. He looks up from the device toward the door he stands beside. "I think this is it." The tracking device suddenly gives out no more signal, and the lights go out. It appears the last of the power has been used up. Silence fills the air, except for the sound of a young child screaming out briefly, than sobbing, through the door. With a muttered expletive, Bludd unslings his combat rifle, flicking on the flashlight mounted beneath the barrel with a practiced motion. Behind him, his troops follow suit, and beams of light play haphazardly about the hall momentarily before settling on the door. "Let's go," Bludd says in a low tone. "Jackson, Smythe, flanks," he orders, motioning, "Hempton, ceiling. Easy does it." He opens the door and nudges it all the way open with his toe, returning his hand immediately to his rifle as he steps into the room. The room is dark, the sobbing is coming from the farthest corner of the room, and gets softer, as if someone is trying to muffle the sounds, with an arm, or a couple of hands. The Range-Viper, not given any orders, and possessing fairly good night vision, follows the major into the room, and keeps an eye on his back. He figures the Baroness wouldn't like it if something killed Bludd... The room is dark, but through the glare of the flashlights, it might be possible to see the lump of a body laying crumpled in the middle of the floor, holding a remote control, or some form or another. Major Bludd's light holds on the body. "Cover," he mutters. He moves to the crumpled form, the barrel of his rifle trained on its head. He reaches for the remote control. "Major," one of the men whispers, a frantic edge in his voice, "the corner..." A flashlight beam moves in that direction to illuminate the source of the sobbing. The form laying in the center of the floor is a doctor of some kind, dead of an apparent heart attack, clutching his chest... the remote has just a single button on it. The beams illuminate a small girl, of about 6 or 7 years old, who has long, brown hair that is very curly. Her eyes are deep steel blue, with a hint of brown around the irises. Her skin is a pale chocolate in color, leading one to believe she is of mixed breeding. Her clothing does not fit well and it is obvious that it has been tailored to fit her from something much larger. It would appear to be from a Cobra Trooper, all in blue, with a silver Cobra logo taking up the majority of the shirt. She huddles back further into the corner, and she seems to be clutching a metal pipe, almost like it is a weapon. Major Bludd slips the remote from the dead doctor's grasp and turns his head to look at what the trooper is concerned about. "Bloody hell," he whispers, rising to his feet. He takes a few slow, careful steps toward the girl. "'Salright," he says quietly. "We're not here t'hurt you." Deanna holds the pipe up, and cowers back. She swings the pipe once, not having the strength to lift it again. "Go Way! Or make Doc John better!" Major Bludd glances back at the dead doctor. "There's nothing we can do for him, love," he says, looking at the Cobra emblem on the child's shirt. "Hempton, c'mere." One of the troopers comes up to stand beside Bludd. "See here," the mercenary points to the trooper's chest, "he's got a Cobra symbol like you've got. We're here to help you. There's nobody left here anymore. We'll take you to somewhere safe." Deanna looks at the Trooper, than at the Major, and asks, "Who're you? Name? I'm only supposed to go with few me'bers of Command... Got Orders you know?" She's a rather serious little girl, even with tears still running down her cheek. She puffs her chest out, "Got orders from the Commander his-self that only three people could order me out of here. You one of them?" The Range Viper frowns, and leans over to whisper in the Major's ear, "Sir... she looks kinda like my old boss.. Sounds like her too, if you take off many years... Ya'know?" GAME: Major Bludd PASSES an INTELLIGENCE roll of Above Average difficulty. Major Bludd straightens as the child changes her attitude toward him. He glances to the Range-Viper, then back to the girl. "Well, I'll be..." He smiles at the child. "I'm Major Bludd, and I have orders of my own to fetch you home." Deanna snaps to attention, "Base Commander Bludd!" She snaps to attention, and gives the best mimic of a salute, "I am yours to command sir!" She glances at the dead Doctor, and frowns, saddened again, as most children get when seeing someone they know, dead, "Are you sure, sir, nothing can be done? He only just went to sleep... I couldn't wake him up... I pushed the button he told me to push if something happened, and I couldn't wake him up... but..." She sniffles, and tries to hold back tears, but is unable to, "I couldn't, Sir." the tears streak down her dirty face again. The Range Viper frowns, ever so slightly, than says to the girl, "I will see to him, child. You listen to the Major..." He turns to the body, and smiles. Well, well.. Artemis has a child... who to sell this information to first... Major Bludd smiles at the child's sudden military manner. His expression softens as she describes what happened with the doctor. "Check and make sure," he directs the Range-Viper. Bludd's pretty certain the man's dead, but he didn't actually check for a pulse. His gaze drops to the remote in his hand. He tucks it into a belt pouch, then motions to the girl. "What's your name, lass?" he asks, nodding to the troops to go back out into the hallway. Deanna says simply, "Deanna." She looks over at the Doctor, and the Range-Viper, and whispers to the Major, "He won't hurt the Doc, will he?" The Range-Viper checks the Doctor's pulse and feels how cold the body is, and shakes his head, looking at the Major. "Too long, Sir. At least a day." The three troopers obediently shuffle back out into the darkened hallway, spreading out and shining their lights down both ends of the corridor. Bludd nods to the Range-Viper. "No, love, he's not gonna hurt 'im. C'mon, let's get you out of here. Follow the lads down to the elevator." He glances around the dark room. "Chris', I hope it still works. Hate elevators," he mumbles. The Range Viper makes no move to follow the group, instead he stays behind. Major Bludd says, "Baroness, we've found a young girl, hidden in an underground lab in the Colombia medical building. We're bringing her out now." Deanna motions to the small bag in the corner, "Can I take m'toys? One of them is my favorite doll... Doc says the doll is supposed to look my mother.... Please Major? I know Soldiers aren't supposed to need toys... but...?" Baroness says, "ONLY a child?" Major Bludd says, "She's not just any child, I reckon." Baroness says, "She was alone? How did she survive all this time, alone?" Major Bludd chuckles. "Sure," he says. "Go get yer things. Quickly, now." Deanna runs and collects her stuff, stuffing a few other things into a bag. One of them is a rather large pistol. One can see from the end of it, that it is only a paint ball pistol, however. Major Bludd says, "There was a doctor with her. He's, er, he's past tense now, if y'take my meaning." Major Bludd speaks quietly into his comm gear while the child collects her belongings. Baroness says, "How did he die? Is she responsible?" Deanna moves over to the Major, "I'm ready sir." Major Bludd says, "Not sure, but I doubt it. She's quite attached to him." Major Bludd motions the child out into the hallway. "Go with the troopers," he instructs. "Go down to the lift, lads," he calls out the door. He turns to the Range-Viper. "Comin'?" The Range Viper shakes his head, "No sir. I need to stick around, see what else is down here. Orders from The Baroness." Baroness says, "Very Well. Bring her to the Island. let's get her checked out. I wonder why she was down there... and why we did not know about it." Bludd nods. "Right." He turns and moves out into the hall. Major Bludd says, "You tell a Colombia-based Range-Viper to stick around and explore the place, or is he being 'enterprising'?" Deanna moves out into the Hallways, slowly, very slowly. She hasn't been out of this room, in as long as she can remember. Suddenly, she pulls out the pistol, and makes sure it has a full clip of paintballs in it. She holds it, like she has been trained to use it, and the back wall of the room might show that she has some ability with it, and she moves after the troops, nervously. Baroness says, "Yes. I want to know what else we left behind. If there was one room that had something left, there might be more." Major Bludd says, "Understood." The group heads back to the elevator and Bludd motions the troops and the girl into the elevator car. "Let's hope this thing has its own power source," he mutters, "or we might be putting our climbing abilities to the test." Deanna slips into the Elevator, but she stays close to the walls. She relaxes, as the Elevator is enclosed on all sides... this is more like she is used to. She has seen pictures of the outside. She looks at one of the troops, and asks, conversationaly, "Seen much action against the Joes?" The Range Viper strips the Doctor of any valuables... He might as well get rich, while he is following orders.... Major Bludd steps into the elevator last and hits the key for the main floor of the medical building. "Not for a while," one of the troopers offers hesitantly. "Been kinda quiet," adds another. The Elevator doors close, and than, nothing happens. A Panel opens an inch, but that is it. There does appear to be something inside the panel, some kind of level, but without opening the panel further, it will be hard to tell. Deanna listens closely to the Troopers, her head cocked slightly, "Why quiet? I heard that we were pushing them hard." She shrugs, and whispers, "I heard the boss man over there had a plan for if the Joes ever attacked our Base... Did you hear about Operation Royale?" She glances at the Major, and blushes, "Or was that classified?" Major Bludd grumbles, pointing his rifle and its light at the panel. "Smythe, get that thing open," he commands. "Plan Royal," he corrects Deanna automatically. "It's been a while," he adds. "A lot has changed." Deanna is 6, and is sometime a little forgetful. "Oh." is her only response. The panel opens, and there is a lever, with a sign that reads 'Pull in case of power outage ONLY!' Smythe looks a question at Bludd, who nods, frowning impatiently. The trooper pulls the lever. The sounds of a generator kicking in can be hear, and the elevator almost rockets upwards. It moves very fast, and arrives at the top floor, the ground level, in a matter of ten seconds. As it does, the doors open, brakes can be heard locking in place, and the generator gives out. Deanna lets out a soft scream of fear, and she grabs the hand of one of the troops, squeezing hard. She is not used to this. Bludd and the troops stagger in response to the unexpectedly forceful ascension of the elevator car. Bludd loses his balance and slams up against the door, then nearly pitches face-first out into the corridor as the doors open. He manages to awkwardly catch himself and merely stumble out of the car. The troopers fall against the walls, barely managing to keep their feet. One soldier finds himself holding the child's hand once the car stops, and he stares down at her uncertainly. Deanna tries to smile up at the Trooper, as if this is something she does every day, which of course it isn't. She has no clue it is not standard operating procedure for Cobra troops, though. She looks out at the ruin of Medical, and just stares, "Umm...." "C'mon outta there," Bludd growls. The troopers need no encouragement, and they pile out of the elevator car, the one attached to Deanna slowed slightly as he pulls her along behind him. Bludd notes the child's expression. "Plan Royal was enacted some months ago," he explains, his voice flat. If she knows of the plan, she knows the reason for it. Deanna's eyes widen, "But... why were we left behind? Doc John said we were to go when the Evacuation was called!" She looks frightened, "Did... Did I do something bad? Was I being punished?" Major Bludd shakes his head. "No, love, you weren't." He frowns. "I don't know why you weren't on the transport. But I aim to find out. For now, let's just get out of here and back to the island. Come along." He walks out toward the center of the ruined base and the truck. Major Bludd says, "I'm going to have some questions for you during my debriefing, Ana." Deanna nods, and looks around, following the Major. When they step out of the remains of Medical, she stops in the doorway, and shakes her head, "Is that... the Jungle? I was told that I shouldn't go into the Jungle. Things that could eat me whole live in the Jungle..." Baroness says, "Very Well." time Major Bludd motions to the truck. "In the back, lads," he says, "I'll drive." He looks to Deanna. "You've got three strapping young lads to protect you," he says. "And me," he adds, smiling and pointing a thumb at his chest. "Nothin' t'worry about." He opens the truck's passenger side door. "Mount up, soldier," he says. Deanna nods, holding her paintball gun out in front of her. Almost like she believes it will protect her. She dashes for the truck, like a kid running to their bed, so the Monster under the bed won't get them. She jumps, and lands in the front seat. Phew! She Turns, her feet hanging over the edge of the front seat, and she smiles at the Major, like absolutely nothing strange has just happened. Major Bludd chuckles good-naturedly at the child's antics. He walks around the truck, gets in the driver's seat, and starts up the engine. "Homeward, lads," he calls over his shoulder to the troops in the back of the truck as he puts the truck in gear and heads off toward a nearby hidden airstrip. Deanna watches the Jungle go by, wide eyed. She has never been outside of the little 30 by 30 foot room she was in, that she can remember. She points at something and claps, "Oooh, a snake!" Major Bludd keeps his eyes on the bumpy excuse for a trail in order to avoid flattening the truck's tires in a gargantuan pothole. When they reach the airstrip, he parks the truck and directs the girl to a waiting jet. A short flight later, the group arrives back at Cobra Island. Deanna enjoys the flight, keeping up a constant commentary, the whole way. When they step off the plane on Cobra Island, her eyes widen a little more, and she looks at the Major, "Cobra Island? Really? I get to see the REAL Cobra Island??" SCENE: COBRA ISLAND – WAR ROOM Major Bludd drops Deanna off at Medical to be checked over by a staffer, then heads up to the War Room to debrief. Baroness sits in the War Room, monitoring more than just Bludd's adventure. She is listening to reports coming in from Colombia, and she curses, "Damn!" Major Bludd hears the curse and frowns. He knocks at the War Room doors and waits to be admitted. The Doors are opened, and two Crimson clad Vipers exit, followed by a flung bottle of water. "Bludd! Get in here!" comes Anastasia annoyed sounding order. "She's beginning to sound like the Commander," Bludd mutters to himself, watching the Vipers exit. He squares his shoulders and enters, striding smartly to the foot of the table and standing not quite at attention. Baroness sighs, and shakes her head, motioning to a seat, "That Range-Viper you left behind. His Comms just went dead. With him screaming about being attacked by something." Major Bludd takes the proffered seat, relaxing somewhat. "Probably just as well ... I reckon the elevator was a one-use ticket out of the basement." Baroness sighs, "So, sending in a rescue team, would be useless?" She shakes her head, and glances at the nearest Tele-Viper, and shakes her head once, "Belay the last order than. Note the entry in the Log, and maybe in the future we'll send a team down to investigate. Fully armed." She turns back to the Major, "Allright, tell me about the Girl." "They'd need to climb down the elevator shaft, I reckon," Bludd opines. He sits forward. "Well, she's certainly been indoctrinated properly," he says. "Reminds me a bit of Over Kill when we were on that time travel thing. This little thing full of 'Yessir' and whatnot." He narrows his eyes. "She asked me why she and her 'Doc John' -- the doctor we found with her -- were not evacuated during Plan Royal. I didn't have an answer, as I didn't know she existed until a few hours ago." Baroness frowns slightly, and pulls up a screen on the War Rooms computer, "Nothing shows on that bottom level of the base. I can't find any kind of manifest. I have tried asking Mindbender, but he claims no knowledge of anything done there. Claimed it was for Storage for Dr. West's projects, and for some of his more innocent projects." She sighs, "Obviously, I am being lied to, or Mindbender was being lied to." She pulls up a picture of the girl, taken by a Viper in Medical, and immediately uploaded to the War Room computer, "She looks familiar, but I can not place her... I am running her face against facial recognition, but no hits in the database." She shrugs, "So, maybe I have just seen someone that looks like her." She leans back in her chair, "I want to know why she was there, how she got down there, and why you, as the Colombia Base Commander did not know she was there, why I didn't know she was there, and why Mindbender is either in the dark of her existence in what is obviously a top secret lab, or why he is lying to me about knowing of her existence." "The Commander had a lot of cockamamie projects," Bludd says, "some of which were secret, no doubt. I had the run of the place, but there were things I was not privy to. When the Commander wants a secret kept, it gets kept. Or those who open their fool mouths don't keep talking long. Mindbender I wouldn't trust as far as I could spit a rat." He shrugs. Baroness nods, "Yeah..." She sighs softly, "So what do we do with this little girl now? Indoctrinated or not, she is not worth much to us as a fighter... If medical runs a DNA Sequence on her, and finds she has some mutation, or something special in her DNA maybe, but..." She shrugs. "Dunno," Bludd says. "You got a Cobra Youth Corps, yeah? Some kind of junior troop trainees? She's as dedicated as they come, though she seems a bit spooked by large outdoor spaces. I wonder how long she'd been in that little room in that secret lab." GAME: Baroness FAILS an INTELLIGENCE roll of Extreme difficulty. Baroness nods slightly, "Cobra Youth... I suppose. The quesion becomes, who do we have take care of her?" She stares at the picture a while longer, "Doesn't she remind you of someone?" Major Bludd smiles wistfully. "Yeah, she does. I expect if you ran a DNA comparison between the girl and our current personnel you'd come up with a half match." Baroness arches an eyebrow, "You *know* something, don't you, Sebastian?" She leans forward, "And you aren't going to tell me, are you?" She reaches over and calls down to Medical, "I want a full DNA Panel Match done against the entire Cobra Personnel Database done immediately, against the Girl. As soon as she is checked out, bring her up to the War Room." She leans over, and sighs, "Now, how do we go about figuring out why she was there? Or do you think her identity will give that away?" She doesn't seem mad that Bludd hasn't told her. She figures he is holding on for a reason. "I wouldn't've thought of it meself straight away," Bludd says, his smile changing to one of genuine amusement. "The Range-Viper you were until so recently in contact with clued me in. If you run those DNA tests you'll surely find out for certain what I only suspect." He leans closer to her, as close as he can get without actually standing from his chair. "She bears a rather strong resemblance to Artemis, Ana," he says. Anastasia's eyes widen, and she immediately pulls up the file picture of Artemis, Diana Bourne. The picture is from 1988, when Artemis was only 18, and the resembelence between the Photo's placed side by side is remarkable, "Yes, she does. Darker skin... Deeper Blue eyes... Stronger Middle Eastern face..." She looks thoughtful, "Tele-Viper 912, pull up Any files we have on Bourne. Especially anything with a notation of Child, Baby, unborn." She looks at Bludd, "Has she mentioned, ever, having had a child? Her medical file shows nothing, I had looked at that, when I tapped her to lead the search for the Commander." Now why would she look over a medical file when making that decesion? GAME: Major Bludd PASSES an INTELLIGENCE roll of Immense difficulty. Major Bludd sits back again, shaking his head. "Not that I know of. She once admitted to me that she was pregnant, but I don't know what ever became of that." He frowns. "She might've taken ... steps to ensure she wasn't taken off active duty, but that's just conjecture. I've never heard that she had a child." Baroness nods, "That was in her file... Miscarriage, just before the incident that lead to her Cybernetic Arms, eye, and uterus removal, causing her sterlization." She frowns, "And this child is 6, or 7... that was only a few years ago..." She frowns, "That child would have been born sometime just after she transfered back to the Islan, and was given a code name..." She turns to the Tele-Viper, "Time Frame, 2001 through 2003." "So..." Bludd leans back in his seat and folds his arms over his chest. "...why was this kid kept in a secret lab beneath Colombia? What's the big deal, I wonder?" The Tele-Viper says, "Three files found, One is under the Commander's Personal Encryption Code, One under Mindbender's, and one is in Medical's Normal Key. I am pulling that one up now. It will take a few moments to retrieve it from the Archives." Major Bludd drums his fingers on his arm. "Don't suppose you've any authority to pull rank on ol' Baldy, eh?" Baroness chuckles, "I could..." If she can peek into Mindbender's encrypted information, who else's can she view? Bludd offers the Baroness a conspiratorial smile while silently thanking the good sense he's had to keep his Cobra operations clean and entirely separate from his other business. The File Finally comes up. "Bourne is Pregnant. The Commander and Mindbender want the Embryo stored for future use, and Bourne is not to be told..." Baroness says softly, after reading the file, "I'd have to call Mindbender in, and order him to decrypt his file... or..." She turns to the Tele-Viper, and says, "Use Authorization Over Ride, Alpha 1-9, on the Mindbender File..." The Tele-Viper nods, and says, "It is coming up now." Major Bludd frowns. "So what, they took the kid and said they'd terminated the pregnancy? How do you take a child from a pregnant mother without her knowing?" The file reads, "Bourne's child... The Commander wants it for Intelligence Studies, Indoctrinization Studies, and as a future possible wedge against Artemis, if she goes rogue. He has plans for that woman..." Baroness frowns, "If she didn't know she was pregnant..." She frowns as the new file comes up, "Those sons of bitches!" Than she pauses, and smiles, "Although, I can almost understand about the going rogue..." She sighs, "But even that is beyond what I thought Mindbender would do." Major Bludd shakes his head, pressing his lips together. "Beyond..." he echoes. "Yeah." Baroness says softly, "We can correct that now." She glances up as the door opens. Major Bludd's gaze swings over to the door as well. Deanna is lead through the door, after having been poked, prodded, given a shower, some fresh clothing, and hot food. Her eyes are wide, and she looks around, in shock, "Wow..." Her eyes are drawn to the Baroness and the Major, and she isn't sure if she should bow, or salute... she gets rather stiff, especially when the nice blonde, female doctor Viper leaves her alone in their Presence. Despite his general dislike of children, Bludd smiles at Deanna. "Hello, young lady," he greets. The girl displays the opposite of one of Bludd's pet peeves about most children: she's respectful. Baroness has failed to close the two pictures, or the two files on the young child, she quickly does this now, and than turns to look back at the child. She doesn't smile, she so rarely does, but she does not glare, "Good evening, young one. Major Bludd and I were just discussing you... And your mother." Deanna's eyes are drawn to the pictures, and the files. One wouldn't imagine a child her age could read well, and while she can only read a little, she frowns slightly. At the words from the Baroness, she blinks, "You were talking about me?" she asks softly. Major Bludd sits quietly, letting the Baroness handle the conversation for the time being. Baroness nods, very slightly, "Yes, we were trying to figure out who your mother is. We think we know." She pauses, "Were you ever told your last name, Deanna?" Deanna nods, "Yes, Mistress Baroness, it is Born." She tries not to giggle, failing only slightly, "Like because I was born, I got the last name Born." She shrugs, not realizing it is a bad joke. She smiles brightly. Major Bludd chuckles at the child's joke. "Is that how it works?" he asks the Baroness, grinning. "Don't wanna know where mine came from, then." Baroness smirks a little, "DeCobray must have an interesting story behind it as well." She than turns serious, and looks back at Deanna, "Than we were right about who your mother is. Her name is Diana Bourne, she is also called Artemis." She pauses and looks at the Major, wondering if they should try to track Artemis down, or what. She cocks an eyebrow, and shrugs, than looks over at the Tele-Viper, "Is Artemis on the Island currently?" The Tele-Viper pulls up a roster, "As far as we can tell, Ma'am, she is. Shall I call her in?" Anastasia says softly, "Not just yet, I would like to make sure Deanna is ready to meet her mother first." "You just gonna introduce 'em?" Bludd asks quietly. "Bit of a shock, won't it be?" Is is difficult to look excited and scared at the same time, but some how, the little child pulls it off, "I..." She looks at the Major, than at Baroness, "I... I think... I don't know..." Baroness looks thoughtfully at the Major, "Is there a better way?" Major Bludd shrugs expansively. "I can't think of one. Still." He glances to the girl. "Can't imagine how I'd feel in her place," he says. "Either of 'em." Baroness nods slightly, "I don't know what to do..." She looks that the girl, and asks, "Well, Child, it is up to you." Deanna finally nods, and says, "OK... I want to see her..." Baroness nods at the Tele-Viper Major Bludd sits up properly in his chair, turning toward the doors. Tele-Viper 912 speaks, "Artemis, you are hearby ordered to report to the War Room, Repeat, Artemis, you are ordered to report to the War Room" Artemis says, "Copy..." Baroness waits patiently for Artemis to arrive Deanna is nervous, and looks it. Artemis walks into the War Room, after a few minutes. It is obvious to anyone that she ran here, but she paused just outside the door, ran her fingers through her hair, and straightened her clothing. She takes a deep breath, tucks her balaclava into her pocket, steps to the table, noticing, but not looking at the Girl, "Artemis, Reporting as Ordered." Deanna's eyes go wide, it is her mother, the doll looks just like her! Sounds just like her! Major Bludd looks between Artemis and her daughter. His gaze settles on the sniper. Baroness leans back in her chair, and sighs a little. How else does one react to this situation? "Artemis... No... Diana. I have some wonderful news, and an apology on behalf of Cobra." She motions Artemis to a chair, and than calls Deanna over, "Child, Come here please." Deanna follows the commands of the Baroness, and moves to stand beside her, her hands clutched nervously in front of her, her eyes facing her feet. She seems almost ashamed to look at her mother. Artemis arches an eyebrow, this is the first time she has been invited to sit by the Baroness... "An... Apology?" She immediately looks at the Child, but with the face turned down, and away for her, she can not see anything of the child's face. Her eyes move to the Major, trying to figure out what is going on. Major Bludd offers Artemis a faint and slightly uncomfortable smile. He mutters to the Baroness, "You sure you want me in here for this?" Major Bludd senses: Baroness nods, "Oh hell yes. You don't get out of it this easy." She than turns to look at Deanna and Artemis... Baroness smiles, and says, "Yes, Diana, an Apology, something was done to you, years ago, that should not have been, and without your knowledge." She pauses, "When you first arrived for training to be promoted from a Range Viper, to become Artemis, you were Pregnant. This is Deanna, Deanna Bourne. Your Daughter." Baroness senses: Major Bludd stares. "Get out of it? What t'hell'd I do t'contribute t'this?" Major Bludd senses: Baroness shrugs, "Just smile, and act concerned?" Deanna finally looks up, at Diana, and tries to offer a smile, but fear of rejection makes it hard for her. Major Bludd frowns at the Baroness, but says nothing more. As The Cobra Leader Speaks, the emotionally challenged Sniper, gets emotional. Her eyes flash in anger. She looks ready to kill someone, but one look at the child, and it softens immediately. She stares at the child, a soft smile playing at her lips, and she asks softly, "She looks like me... but you are sure? Positive she is my daughter? This is not some trick?" She stands up, and moves to the girl, going to her knees, glad she is wearing long sleeves, and hoping her cybernetic hands and eye does not scare the child. She turns to look at the Major, the one she trusts the most, "You *are* sure?" She sounds... happy. Major Bludd glances to the Baroness. "Yeah, Diana," he says quietly. "We're sure." Baroness stands up, motioning to Bludd, "Let's let them get reacquainted?" Baroness mutters to Major Bludd, "Besides, after this, I need a drink..." Deanna seems to tentatively smile at Artemis. Major Bludd raises an eyebrow at the Baroness but stands anyway. Artemis pulls Deanna in for a hug, and talks to her softly, about how she'll take care of her now, about how they won't be apart... the softer side of Diana... Major Bludd watches the reunion with an odd expression. He's not seen this kind of thing from the sniper before. Baroness motions the Major out, leading the way. ;LOG ENDS Category:2010 Category:Logs